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PS4: Information about Family on PSN

Learn how Family on PSN can help you keep your family members safer.

With PS4 system software 5.00 comes Family on PSN, a new way to help keep your Family Members safer on your PS4 system and PlayStation Network.

By setting up accounts for your Family Members you can customise individual parental controls and spending limits for each child, and appoint Adult Family Members as Parents/Guardians. A Family can consist of up to 7 accounts (including yourself) or 15 local users.

Families can be managed directly on the PS4 system, or through account management on the web.

New Family terminology

Family on PSN replaces the ‘master account’ and ‘sub account’ structure previously used for adults and children.

New Terminology

Previous Terminology

Family Manager

Master Account

Adult Family Member

Child Family Member

Sub Account

With this new structure you can set parental controls and spending limits for each child in the Family, and allow other Adult Family Members to set parental controls.

If you already have sub accounts linked to your master account these will automatically become Child Family Members, and you can manage their individual parental controls and spending limits using account management on the web or by going to [Settings] > [Parental Controls/Family Management] > [Family Management] on your PS4 system.

What Family Members can and can't do

There are several roles within a Family, each with its own set of capabilities and restrictions, so you can personalise each user’s experience. Select a role below to find out more.

The Family Manager is the Family 'administrator'. There are no restrictions on the features a Family Manager can access, although there are some things that only the Family Manager can do. For example, the Family Manager is the only user who can add members to the Family and give other Adult Family Members access to parental control settings. There can only be one Family Manager in a Family.

Can

Can't

Add Family members.

Set parental controls for Child Family Members.

Contact other players through PSN.

Add payment methods and funds to their wallet.

Purchase content from PlayStation Store.

Set account restrictions for other adults in the Family.

Family members under the age of 18 can use the PS4 system and PSN features within the limits of the parental controls set by the Family Manager, Parent or Guardian.

Children and teenagers can spend funds from the Family Manager's wallet within a spending limit set by the Family Manager, but only when enough funds are available. They can also communicate with other PSN users, subject to parental controls. We recommend that all Parents and Guardians in the household find out about the available Parental Controls to make sure your children are kept as safe as possible.

Can

Can't

Graduate to a full adult account upon turning 18.

Create accounts (subject to parental authorisation).

Play games and content offline, subject to age ratings.

Add/remove Family Members.

Add funds to the wallet.

Leave the Family.

These features depend on parental controls set on the account

Create new local users on the PS4 system.

Purchase content from PlayStation Store, subject to spending limits.

Contact other players through PSN.

Any Family Members over the age of 18 have full unrestricted access to PlayStation Network on their account, as well as their own wallet for purchases from PlayStation Store. However, they can’t add members to the Family or set parental controls for children if they haven't been made a Parent or Guardian by the Family Manager. An adult user can choose to leave the Family at any time, but this will affect any content shared within the Family.

Can

Can't

Create an account.

Set PS4 system restrictions (requires parental controls passcode).

Contact other players through PSN.

Add payment methods and funds to their own wallet.

Purchase content from PlayStation Store.

Leave the Family at any time.*

Add/remove Family Members.

Set parental controls for Child Family Members.

Spend the Family Manager's wallet funds.

* Leaving the family means any shared content or features will no longer be shared.

The Family Manager can designate other Adult Family Members Parent or Guardian status. This gives them the ability to set parental controls for Child Family Members. This doesn't place any other restrictions or limitations on the Adult Family Member's account.

Can

Can't

Create an account.

Set PS4 system restrictions (requires passcode).

Set parental controls for Child Family Members (including spending limits).

Contact other players through PSN.

Add payment methods and funds to their own wallet.

Purchase content from PlayStation Store.

Leave the Family at any time.*

Add/remove Family Members.

Spend the Family Manager's wallet funds.

* Leaving the family means any shared content or features will no longer be shared.